How can we learn to trust God like the prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:17-19)?

Answer

Despite the questions that the prophet Habakkuk had concerning the evil taking place during his time, he concludes his oracle with positive words of praise. Habakkuk expresses his faith in God in a hymn: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places” (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

How can we learn to trust God in this way? A closer look at these verses reveals some concepts that help us to trust God more.

First, Habakkuk commits to praising God regardless of external circumstances. The opening of his hymn delineates a catastrophe: 1) no fruit on the fig trees, 2) no grapes growing on the vines, 3) no olives, 4) no produce of any kind, 5) a lack of sheep, and 6) a lack of cattle. After this doleful description, the prophet says, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”

Habakkuk’s joy was not dependent on physical blessings. Even if Habakkuk suffered extreme loss, he was determined to praise God. Habakkuk remembered God’s goodness in times past and concluded that God was worthy of praise. The prophet might lack olives and grapes, but he would never be without God.

Second, Habakkuk praises God specifically for salvation: “I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” God not only could save; God is salvation. Interestingly, the title “God of my salvation” is used seven times in the Old Testament. Five of these are found in the Psalms (18:26;25:5;27:9;51:14;88:1), one in Habakkuk, and the other in Micah 7:7.

Third, Habakkuk acknowledges the Lord as His strength: “GOD, the Lord, is my strength.” This declaration is the primary focus of Habakkuk’s hymn. The underlying message becomes evident when the literary structure is outlined as follows:

A1 “I will . . .”

A2 “I will . . .”

X “GOD, the Lord, is my strength”

B1 “he makes . . .”

B2 “he makes . . .”

Following two expressions of the prophet’s resolve are two references to what God will achieve on his behalf. In the middle, we encounter “God, the Lord, is my strength.”

The reality of God’s current strength led Habakkuk to have faith in God even during the most challenging times. Similar to Habakkuk, we can opt to worship God even when faced with devastation. Like Habakkuk, we can praise God for the deliverance He offers through Jesus Christ. And, by recognizing God as our fount of strength, we, like Habakkuk, can rely on God’s assurances.